Golf and charity hold an unbreakable bond

Published 7:41 pm, Saturday, July 6, 2013

Karl Nelson, 1986 Super Bowl Champion New York Giants, at the Tim Teufel Celebrity Golf at Tamarack Country Club in Greenwich Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012. This year the tourney benefits the Fairfield County Sports Commission.
Photo: Helen Neafsey

Sue Merz, US Women's Olympic Hockey Team, gold and silver medalist at the Tim Teufel Celebrity Golf at Tamarack Country Club in Greenwich Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012. This year the tourney benefits the Fairfield County Sports Commission.
Photo: Helen Neafsey

Matt Harvey, New York Mets, at the Tim Teufel Celebrity Golf at Tamarack Country Club in Greenwich Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012. This year the tourney benefits the Fairfield County Sports Commission.
Photo: Helen Neafsey

Tim Teufel, 1986 World Series Champion New York Mets at the Tim Teufel Celebrity Golf at Tamarack Country Club in Greenwich Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012. This year the tourney benefits the Fairfield County Sports Commission.
Photo: Helen Neafsey

It was a Monday morning at Trump National Golf Club in Briarcliff, N.Y., and like practically every day in June, it was raining. The ominous sky and steady rainfall didn't dampen the spirit of a group of more than 100 golfers, though. The mood was instead festive, as the amateur golfers were eager to tee off for a great cause -- the Golf for Abilis Tournament.

That same June 10th day, the 16th annual Branca Brothers Charity Golf Outing -- a tournament benefiting youth sports programs and organizations in Greenwich -- was held at Griffith E. Harris Golf Course. And on June 17, my travels took me to Country Club of Darien, where the NFL Alumni Connecticut Chapter hosted its 2013 Charity Golf Classic, an event following the motto "Caring for Kids."

Yes, there's an unbreakable bond between golf and charity. Want to raise money for a worthy cause or organization? Golf is, indeed, the ticket.

According to the National Golf Foundation, 140,000 golf tournaments are held each year for charitable causes, drawing more than 15 million players -- young and old, amateur and professional. More than $4 billion is raised to fight an array of diseases and benefit thousands of charitable organizations. Of course, plenty of other sports do a great job of raising money for charity, but golf seems to be the perfect fit.

"I think it's the best vehicle for raising money," said Kelly McCoy, one of the main coordinators of the NFL Alumni Charity Golf Classic. "There are 30 chapters in the NFL Alumni Association and all 30 have golf tournaments. The Connecticut Chapter is one of the top chapters in the country, raising between $70-90,000 each year with this tournament."

I enjoyed listening to the friendly banter between the former NFL stars prior to the Charity Golf Classic, as they teased each other about their respective golf games and what they were going to shoot that day. But they all knew how they played wasn't really significant. What mattered was why they were there.

"Golf is a nice social event and playing the sport is even more fun when you raise money for good causes and are able to help kids," former New York Jets running back/special teams star Bruce Harper said. "It's great to be able to lend your name for charitable causes, and golf tournaments like these gives you the opportunity to do so."

For 23 years, Innis Arden Golf Club in Greenwich was a popular stop for former and current athletes, who visited the site to compete in the Jerry Sr. Memorial Tournament, presented by Porricelli's Food Mart. The event, which benefited Abilis -- a nonprofit organization designed to aid people with developmental disabilities -- was held for the last time in 2011, but Fred Trump stepped in and has hosted the tourney at Trump National Golf Club the past two years.

Judging by the amount of players that competed in the tournament and the prizes available (they were giving away a Maserati for a weekend that I couldn't take my eyes off of), the event was a success.

"We had 74 players last year and 112 this year, so we have already blown away what we did last year," said Fred Trump, the nephew of Donald Trump. "We raised a lot of money and we're going to continue to raise a lot each year."

Abilis holds a special place in Trump's heart. His son William, now 13, received therapy and services through Abilis' Birth to Three program. Trump jumped at the chance to host a golf tournament to raise funds for Abilis.

"Our common goal is to raise money for this great organization and a golf tournament is a great way to do so," Trump said. "Golf really helps embody the spirit of giving."

While walking past the putting green, I bumped into recent Greenwich High School graduate Danny Guise, who starred on the Cardinals boys team for four seasons. One of the youngest players in the tournament, the Wake Forest University-bound Guise was the event's featured player.

"It's a great honor to come out here and play for such a good cause," said Guise, whose mother has worked at Abilis for 20 years. "It's unbelievable what the organization does to teach and help out little kids. We're all happy to be playing here for Abilis."

Not far from Fairfield County, Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y., hosted the Autism Speaks Fifteenth annual Celebrity Golf Challenge on June 18 -- an event that brought former UConn men's basketball coach Jim Calhoun to the course. The event has raised more than $12 million dollars since its inception in the late 1990s.

Richter Park Club Golf Course business manager Karen Madaus, who was busy finalizing tee times as she spoke with me, said 60 players signed up to compete in Wednesday's tournament benefiting Sandy Hook. Richter Park will also play host to the 23rd annual Danbury Amateur July 20-21. More than 160 players are expected to take part in the tourney, will all the proceeds going to Family and Children's Aid of Danbury and Danbury Regional Child Advocacy Center.

"We have about 15 charity tournaments per year at our club," Madaus said. "It's always nice to give back to the community and it's especially nice to raise money for great causes. These events also bring out a lot of families and everyone has a nice time."

Meanwhile, Whitney Farms Golf Course in Monroe was the site of St. Vincent's Swim Across The Sound Tournament in late May. The event raised funds for cancer education, screening and support programs and drew more than 120 participants.

"It was a great success," Whitney Farms head PGA professional Paul McGuire said. "We raised a lot of money and it was a great day for our golf course. We were proud to hold the event."

In October, I'll take a ride to Tamarack Country Club in Greenwich to cover the Tim Teufel Celebrity Golf Tournament. Last year, I was introduced to a young, budding Mets pitcher by the name of Matt Harvey, who was happy to showcase his golf game.

I look forward to watching the golf-charity connection continue to thrive this summer, and for years to come.